“You need to move the building of your new hotel,” I plead after a long pause.
Ruby chimes in. “Iris is right, Bàba. Hundreds of thousands of people will lose a school and housing if you build this hotel.”
She switches to Chinese and argues with Uncle Dai.
Auntie Yingfei intervenes. I’ve never heard her talk so loudly.
She points at me. I smile hopefully. She doesn’t react. Then she points to Ruby, who crosses her arms and sticks out her lower lip in determination.
There’s more intense, rapid-fire conversation in Chinese. I really wish I was watching this on a large television screen with subtitles. I don’t know what’s being said or not said. All I know is that the family can’t agree. Auntie Yingfei is gesturing at us, and Uncle Dai’s mouth opens and closes, as if he’s not sure whether to argue or swallow his pride.
Ruby and Auntie Yingfei keep talking and seem to be pointing at everything in the room.
Finally, Uncle Dai looks like he’s about to yell, but Ruby steps in quickly. “What if we raise all the money to cover relocation costs? The hotel hasn’t even been built yet, but how much money would we need to raise?”
Uncle Dai is staring at both of us, shocked.
“Weijun, Ruby, you are serious?”
“Yes,” Ruby says. “This is the only thing I have asked you for that wasn’t for me.”
“Me too,” I say.
It’s a fact that I have never asked for money for other people. Especially for strangers.
“Plus, this would stop the protests so we could move back to the hotel and build favor with the public again,” Ruby says. “It would be great PR for Feng Construction. We can call a press meeting today.”
He stares at both of us. Like he’s never seen us before. It’s like he thinks that he doesn’t know us. It’s almost comical.
“What happen?” he asks. “You suddenly are friend? Ruby, are you feeling okay? Iris, you still have travel diarrhea? Is this big JOKE?”
“No joke,” I say.
Ruby stands beside me so that we’re linking arms. Like we’re BFFs in a movie about mismatched buddies. It could almost be true, at least in this moment. I am also so proud of my cousin. I did not know that she was fiercely smart in solving real-life problems.
“You want to move hotel?” Uncle Dai says. “You want to relocate?”
“This is what Iris and I want,” she says again firmly. “We also want to raise enough money to build a new school for these children. They don’t even have a proper place to learn. You’re always talking about how important education is for anyone to move up in this world. And we saw how poor everyone is.… Iris and I agreed that they really need a school.”
Seeing Uncle Dai’s deep, unyielding frown, she adds, “I’ll donate my award money from the dog competitions and I’ll work at Feng Corp one day a week.”
I sense Ruby’s nervousness and I know this is a huge-deal sacrifice for her to work at a company where she’s just not interested. It’s how I felt every day when I was forced to attend high school. Quickly, I add, “I’ll intern too! I’ll work two days a week. We’ll both intern for Feng Corp and do whatever you need us to do.”
I’m honestly not sure what interning entails, but I’ve survived a Tiger curse from birth, more than one lying, cheating boy, crunchy bugs, and Mandarin lessons, not to mention being shipped to Beijing, which is like being in another dimension of time and space. I’m pretty sure that I can handle almost anything, maybe even possibly take on the GED one day.
Everyone looks super surprised by my sudden announcement.
Then Auntie Yingfei beams and nods. “Husband, we once poor too. Yī shì tóng rén. Help everyone because we’re family.”
Uncle Dai stares at us. “You all want this?” he repeats. “My family want to move hotel and build new school for migrant? You and Iris are friend? You will both learn business from me?”
“Yes!” I agree, nodding eagerly. “We want to help.”
No one says anything for a while.
Ruby grips my elbow like she’s holding on to the railing of a scary ride at an amusement park. We both can’t breathe. Especially me. I don’t know how Uncle Dai the Dragon will react. Will he scream and burn us into crispy meat? Will he just keep frowning until Ruby’s watch beeps for dinnertime?
I don’t know how to contribute meaningfully to the conversation, so I begin to clap enthusiastically. Like I’m cheering for a rock band about to go onstage. I keep clapping until my hands begin to hurt. I clap right up close to my uncle’s face.
Looking dazed and confused, Uncle Dai begins to clap back.
When we’ve finished at least three rounds of applause, Uncle Dai grudgingly agrees to figure out the numbers.
Ruby and Auntie Yingfei applaud and cheer. I whoop loudly, and everyone stops and asks me if I’m feeling okay.
32
#1 Fundraiser
My parents arrive in the hotel lobby. They rush to hug me. I haven’t seen them in over eight weeks, but it feels as if I saw them three television seasons ago. I’m practically a completely different person now.
When I look in the mirror, I almost radiate a new authentic kind of feline confidence. I glow, and it’s not new foundation or beach bronzer. I have never felt so incredibly proud about something that wasn’t purchased with a Visa card. It’s like I finally understand my sole purpose for existing. Madame Xing was right: I should have followed my instincts long ago.
When my parents hug me, I hug them back tightly.
I am about to apologize for my reckless behavior, but my dad starts talking as if he’s downed four shots of espresso in one sitting.
“Iris, we are so sorry about everything!” he says. His eyes start watering and by default, mine start gushing like broken faucets too. “It’s our fault that you are having a baby!”
“What?” I say. “I’m not pregnant.”
My dad and mom exchange unbelieving looks.
“I’m NOT!” I say.
No one says anything.
“Oh, we are so glad!” my mom finally exclaims in relief. She hugs me again tightly, like I’m a wad of cash. My dad joins in, and for a moment, all our confusion and hurts are temporarily stuffed away. For a moment, we are like a real American sitcom family.
After my visit with Madame Xing, I made my dad phone her for a quick chat, which cost two dollars per minute, but she did tell him that he needed to be reunited with his entire family to brush away the past like “a bad calligraphy painting.”
“Talk in person is better,” she admonished. “How can you see faces on small iPhone screen? How do you know what the other person is feeling? If you care, you will want to see real and bigger faces. Your daughter, Weijun, asked me to help. She knows that your family is full of flower-hearts who get cursed easily.”
Immediately, my dad phoned Uncle Dai and asked him to arrange a family reunion, and my uncle told him about the planned fundraiser. At the end of July, he flew my parents to Beijing in a private first-class cabin, grinning and applauding nonstop when he told me the exciting news over dinner. “Family meeting!” he had enthused, and then ordered us a delicious bottle of Dom Pérignon to celebrate.